~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 33// That's not fair
"No!"
"Grace?" Her mother questioned at her outburst. "Honey, I know it will be a bit of a change, but.."
"No! I don't want to move!" Grace cried angrily.
"It's only for four months, and it will be fun, honey, I swear," Lily pleaded.
"What about school?" Grace asked, adding silently in her head, 'What about Augustus?'.
"You will be back in time for your senior year. And you can finish up your junior year there," Lily said, showing how much she and Rick had already talked about this and planned about it. Grace felt a growing dread in her stomach, not liking how concrete this plan was already.
"I don't really want to go either," Jessie spoke up.
"Jessie?" Rick asked his daughter gently.
"Dad, I don't want to leave Katie!" Jessie answered.
"There's always email and the phone, sweetie," Rick said. Jessie sighed and looked down at her hands. Grace could see that Jessie was close to giving in, but Grace wasn't about to give in that easily.
"What about the play?" Grace asked and Jessie looked up.
"Yeah! Dad, I got a good part." Jessie agreed.
"I'm sorry, Jessie, but you'll just have to let Mr. Dimitri know, so he can find replacements." Rick looked to Lily for support. Lily nodded.
Grace flinched at the mention of Augustus. They couldn't do this to her. She had just got back with him, and now they were telling her this! "Mom, I don't want to go."
Lily sighed, her shoulders dropping, "Grace, I thought you'd jump at the chance of going to Australia. It's only for four months."
"I'm not going." Grace leaned back against the sofa, crossing her arms firmly. They couldn't make her go, could they? An idea formed in her mind, "Mom, I'll just live with Judy."
"Grace, you can't do that. Besides, I'm pretty sure Sam will be bringing Judy along with him."
Grace grimaced, holding back a scream. "This is not fair! It's not fair! You can't do this to us!"
Her mother stood silently in front of her, holding firm. "Grace."
"Well, I want to go," Eli spoke up. He turned to Grace giving her a meaningful look. Grace knew he was thinking about how it would keep her from Mr. Dimitri, and gave him a hard glare back in return.
"I want to go too!" Zoe added.
Jessie sighed, throwing up her hands, "Fine! I'll go! But I better be able to talk to Katie a lot!"
"It's all part of the deal. A nice house on the beach.. free long distance telephone calls.. spending money," Rick said proudly, glad his job was providing this for his family.
They all waited on Grace to agree, but Grace couldn't do that. "Do I have a choice?"
"Grace, there is no where else for you to go," Her mother said gently.
"I'll live at Dad's!" Grace said, grasping at straws. "Please.."
"Grace, we're a family. We have to stick together." Lily said firmly.
"That's not fair!" Grace stood up, glaring at Lily and Rick, "That's not fair!" She rushed past them and up the stairs to her room, where she clutched the book of poetry Augustus had given her and cried.
* * *
"Grace.." Her mother said softly a little while later as she let herself into Grace's room.
Grace turned her body on her bed so she faced the wall instead of her mother.
"I'm sorry, honey," Her mother sat down on the edge of the bed. "I just don't understand why you're so upset about this.." When Grace didn't provide an answer, Lily spoke up again, "Is it because of Eli?"
"No, it's not because of Eli!"
"Gracie? Then why won't you give this a chance?"
Grace turned on her back and looked up into her mother's eyes. "You don't understand."
"Then tell me, so I will understand," Her mother prompted. Grace was silent. "No matter how much you hate it, you still have to go, Grace."
"I know, mother."
Her mother uneasily got off the bed and began to head towards the door. She looked back at Grace and began to say something, but changed her mind and went out the door instead.
* * *
They were going to leave in two weeks. On February 19th, Grace's life was going to change. She was going to be going to Australia! It wasn't fair at all, and Grace hated it. She hated her mother for making her do this. And now she had to go and tell Augustus this horrid news. Grace parked in front of his house.
Augustus opened the sliding doors to her in pleasant surprise. "Grace!" Then he saw the look on her face. "What is it?"
Grace walked in his kitchen, shutting the door behind her. He looked at her with patient concern. Grace looked into his wonderful caring eyes and felt her own eyes fill up with tears. She sank into his arms and cried. When her tears had dried up, she let it out. "My family is moving to Australia!" Augustus' gentle eyes widened, but he didn't say anything, and the silence prompted Grace to continue. "Rick's boss asked him to design a hotel in Australia, and so we all have to move there for four months. We leave on the 19th."
Augustus smiled gently down at her worried face, "Grace, it's not the end of the world."
"I know, but I don't want what we have to end!" Grace moved out of his arms.
"But, it doesn't have to." Augustus said firmly.
"But it's four months!" Grace took a deep breath, and looked away, "I can't expect you to just wait for me like that."
"No, you can't expect me to, but Grace, I will. I want to. You're the one I love and if we can't survive four months apart, then it's not meant to be." Augustus reached for her and Grace reluctantly went back in his arms.
"I guess." Grace looked up into his eyes, "I love you."
"I love you too," Augustus bent his head down and they shared a comforting kiss. "The19th, huh? That still gives us two weeks together."
Grace smiled for the first time since entering his house, "Yeah."
Augustus spirits lifted as she smiled. He kissed her again, deeper and longer this time. His fingers ran through her straight brown hair. She lifted her hands to his back. In the middle of the kiss, Grace let out a sound that was half sigh and half sob. Augustus pulled back and saw in alarm that she was crying. His heart tore at the trail of tears falling down her cheek. "Grace!"
Grace shook her head silently, "I love too much. It hurts to leave you."
"Oh, Grace." Augustus pulled her into a hug. Grace wet his shirt with tears once again.
Then Grace pulled back, her eyes filled with pain, "I should go. My mother is expecting me back soon."
"Stay, please. You'll find a way to explain to your mother," Augustus pleaded, not wanting to let her go when she was still hurting. He wanted to find a way to take away her pain, but he didn't know how.
"No, I really should go." Grace moved towards the door, "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Grace." Augustus sighed as she went out the door. He had to find a way to make her feel better. He had to find a way to make her know that he would wait for her while she was in Australia. Augustus heard her car start up on the street and pull away. He grabbed his own keys and his wallet. He just might know what to do. It was something that felt extremely right. He smiled as he went out the door, his hopes lifted.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 33// That's not fair
"No!"
"Grace?" Her mother questioned at her outburst. "Honey, I know it will be a bit of a change, but.."
"No! I don't want to move!" Grace cried angrily.
"It's only for four months, and it will be fun, honey, I swear," Lily pleaded.
"What about school?" Grace asked, adding silently in her head, 'What about Augustus?'.
"You will be back in time for your senior year. And you can finish up your junior year there," Lily said, showing how much she and Rick had already talked about this and planned about it. Grace felt a growing dread in her stomach, not liking how concrete this plan was already.
"I don't really want to go either," Jessie spoke up.
"Jessie?" Rick asked his daughter gently.
"Dad, I don't want to leave Katie!" Jessie answered.
"There's always email and the phone, sweetie," Rick said. Jessie sighed and looked down at her hands. Grace could see that Jessie was close to giving in, but Grace wasn't about to give in that easily.
"What about the play?" Grace asked and Jessie looked up.
"Yeah! Dad, I got a good part." Jessie agreed.
"I'm sorry, Jessie, but you'll just have to let Mr. Dimitri know, so he can find replacements." Rick looked to Lily for support. Lily nodded.
Grace flinched at the mention of Augustus. They couldn't do this to her. She had just got back with him, and now they were telling her this! "Mom, I don't want to go."
Lily sighed, her shoulders dropping, "Grace, I thought you'd jump at the chance of going to Australia. It's only for four months."
"I'm not going." Grace leaned back against the sofa, crossing her arms firmly. They couldn't make her go, could they? An idea formed in her mind, "Mom, I'll just live with Judy."
"Grace, you can't do that. Besides, I'm pretty sure Sam will be bringing Judy along with him."
Grace grimaced, holding back a scream. "This is not fair! It's not fair! You can't do this to us!"
Her mother stood silently in front of her, holding firm. "Grace."
"Well, I want to go," Eli spoke up. He turned to Grace giving her a meaningful look. Grace knew he was thinking about how it would keep her from Mr. Dimitri, and gave him a hard glare back in return.
"I want to go too!" Zoe added.
Jessie sighed, throwing up her hands, "Fine! I'll go! But I better be able to talk to Katie a lot!"
"It's all part of the deal. A nice house on the beach.. free long distance telephone calls.. spending money," Rick said proudly, glad his job was providing this for his family.
They all waited on Grace to agree, but Grace couldn't do that. "Do I have a choice?"
"Grace, there is no where else for you to go," Her mother said gently.
"I'll live at Dad's!" Grace said, grasping at straws. "Please.."
"Grace, we're a family. We have to stick together." Lily said firmly.
"That's not fair!" Grace stood up, glaring at Lily and Rick, "That's not fair!" She rushed past them and up the stairs to her room, where she clutched the book of poetry Augustus had given her and cried.
* * *
"Grace.." Her mother said softly a little while later as she let herself into Grace's room.
Grace turned her body on her bed so she faced the wall instead of her mother.
"I'm sorry, honey," Her mother sat down on the edge of the bed. "I just don't understand why you're so upset about this.." When Grace didn't provide an answer, Lily spoke up again, "Is it because of Eli?"
"No, it's not because of Eli!"
"Gracie? Then why won't you give this a chance?"
Grace turned on her back and looked up into her mother's eyes. "You don't understand."
"Then tell me, so I will understand," Her mother prompted. Grace was silent. "No matter how much you hate it, you still have to go, Grace."
"I know, mother."
Her mother uneasily got off the bed and began to head towards the door. She looked back at Grace and began to say something, but changed her mind and went out the door instead.
* * *
They were going to leave in two weeks. On February 19th, Grace's life was going to change. She was going to be going to Australia! It wasn't fair at all, and Grace hated it. She hated her mother for making her do this. And now she had to go and tell Augustus this horrid news. Grace parked in front of his house.
Augustus opened the sliding doors to her in pleasant surprise. "Grace!" Then he saw the look on her face. "What is it?"
Grace walked in his kitchen, shutting the door behind her. He looked at her with patient concern. Grace looked into his wonderful caring eyes and felt her own eyes fill up with tears. She sank into his arms and cried. When her tears had dried up, she let it out. "My family is moving to Australia!" Augustus' gentle eyes widened, but he didn't say anything, and the silence prompted Grace to continue. "Rick's boss asked him to design a hotel in Australia, and so we all have to move there for four months. We leave on the 19th."
Augustus smiled gently down at her worried face, "Grace, it's not the end of the world."
"I know, but I don't want what we have to end!" Grace moved out of his arms.
"But, it doesn't have to." Augustus said firmly.
"But it's four months!" Grace took a deep breath, and looked away, "I can't expect you to just wait for me like that."
"No, you can't expect me to, but Grace, I will. I want to. You're the one I love and if we can't survive four months apart, then it's not meant to be." Augustus reached for her and Grace reluctantly went back in his arms.
"I guess." Grace looked up into his eyes, "I love you."
"I love you too," Augustus bent his head down and they shared a comforting kiss. "The19th, huh? That still gives us two weeks together."
Grace smiled for the first time since entering his house, "Yeah."
Augustus spirits lifted as she smiled. He kissed her again, deeper and longer this time. His fingers ran through her straight brown hair. She lifted her hands to his back. In the middle of the kiss, Grace let out a sound that was half sigh and half sob. Augustus pulled back and saw in alarm that she was crying. His heart tore at the trail of tears falling down her cheek. "Grace!"
Grace shook her head silently, "I love too much. It hurts to leave you."
"Oh, Grace." Augustus pulled her into a hug. Grace wet his shirt with tears once again.
Then Grace pulled back, her eyes filled with pain, "I should go. My mother is expecting me back soon."
"Stay, please. You'll find a way to explain to your mother," Augustus pleaded, not wanting to let her go when she was still hurting. He wanted to find a way to take away her pain, but he didn't know how.
"No, I really should go." Grace moved towards the door, "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Grace." Augustus sighed as she went out the door. He had to find a way to make her feel better. He had to find a way to make her know that he would wait for her while she was in Australia. Augustus heard her car start up on the street and pull away. He grabbed his own keys and his wallet. He just might know what to do. It was something that felt extremely right. He smiled as he went out the door, his hopes lifted.
* * *